


I’ve traveled all this way for something

by lanyon



Series: Bad Boy Boogie [3]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Festive fun, Rookies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 15:31:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5339261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanyon/pseuds/lanyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Las Vegas Aces</b> @lasvegasaces • 40m<br/>FOUR SLEEPS TILL CHRISTMAS. ONE SLEEP TILL WE BEAT THE BLUE JACKETS</p><p><b>NHL Blue Jackets</b> @BlueJacketsNHL • 35m<br/><b>@lasvegasaces</b> :( worst present ever. we’re regifting this year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I’ve traveled all this way for something

**Author's Note:**

> +Enormous thanks to Sarah and Idril (and thanks once again to Idril for use of her wonderful OCs).  
> +If anyone else pictures Kent's father as Stanley Tucci from _Easy A_ , you would be correct.  
> +Title from Imagine Dragons

_Since Gabriel Charbonneau's arrival, there have been changes, at the Aces and in the League._

_If there is even a whisper of a potential fight involving the five foot nine forward, who'd be an enforcer if the concept wasn't so contrary to his size and skills, "Warriors" by Imagine Dragons blasts out in the arena - homegrown music for Nevada's latest adopted son._

_It makes the nineteen year-old laugh and he betrays only the slightest discomfort when his sexuality is brought up. "I think this might be the only franchise where I could have felt comfortable enough to come out. The Aces are - I mean, it's such a great team and no one takes any sh*t and we have no expectations to live up to, so let's make our own, you know?"_

_Wise words that apply to Charbonneau himself and we look forward to watching him exceed his own expectations. Drafted in the third round, he’s already being touted as a Calder prospect, if he can keep his penalty minutes down._

♠ 

**gabriel charbonneau** @gcharb69 • 15m  
My interview with @SINow is out! http://www.si.com/nhl/12/09/nhl-rookie-on-the-rise

♠

In the month since Montreal, the Aces are 9-2-1 and it’s almost Christmas. If any of their teammates have noticed how Kent and Charbo are on good terms, they haven’t said anything and Kent’s certainly not going to draw anyone’s attention to the fact that he didn’t apologise. He doesn’t want anyone to know that he never earned Charbo’s forgiveness, or asked for it. 

He thinks about texting Jack. _There’s a guy on the Aces. Idk if you know him but he’s from Montreal too and he reminds me of you._

It’s not actually true, though. Charbo is nothing like Jack, apart from the accent and the way he swears in French, like it somehow makes it classier. He's more expressive than Jack, that's for sure. Kent doesn't really know Charbo but he can usually tell how he's feeling based on facial expression, gesticulations and time spent in the penalty box.

♠

“It’s okay, Mom, honestly,” says Gabriel. “It had to happen sooner or later, right?” He’s trying to sound more upbeat than he feels but she can probably see right through him. 

“I know, my darling,” she says. “You flew the coop so very long ago that maybe we are lucky that this is the first Christmas —”

“Look, how about you talk to work? We’ve got that homestand in February. You and Aurelie should come down for that. We can have a delayed Charbonneau family Christmas or whatever.” 

Gabriel hangs up after a few more minutes of mutual commiseration and when he looks up from putting his phone away, he sees Parse, looking at him thoughtfully.

“You okay, kid?”

Gabriel shrugs. He’s not really okay. He’s nineteen years of age and he’s never spent Christmas away from Aurelie and their mother. He’d also never been NHL Rookie of the Month until last month, so things change. “Can’t get home for Christmas, obviously.” Their schedule is too tight and everything’s on the west coast. “And Mom can’t get off work so.”

Parse nods, maybe sympathetically. “What does your mom do?”

“She’s a nurse. A good one.”

“So what are you going to do for Christmas?”

Gabriel swallows down a lump in his throat. He’s gotta hope Sicili’s delivers on Christmas Day. “Yeah, I got plans.” 

“Bullshit,” says Parse. 

“What?”

“I call bullshit. You’ve been in Vegas, like, five minutes. What plans do you have? ‘Cause, believe me, you don’t wanna get involved in a Bash and Beastly Christmas Special. Their wives have at least one throwdown argument and that’s before lunch.”

“I thought their wives were sisters.”

“Yeah, they are, but Christmas, you know? Brings out the worst in some people. Anyway, whatever. You’re coming to my place. Mom and Dad are coming over, with the Terror Twins. It’ll be cool.”

Gabriel blinks.

He decides not to remark that maybe Christmas brings out the best in other people.

♠

 **Who are your go-to guys on the team?**  
Well, Bash [Sebastian Volkov] and Beastly [Charles Beasley] have been amazingly welcoming and supportive. I think it’s because they have to peel my off the ice most days. Parse [Kent Parson] has been pretty great, too. He’s told me where to get the best pizza.

 **What’s your favourite thing about playing for the Aces?**  
I gotta say that it’s the home games. I mean, I know that a lot of the crowd are tourists but they really get behind us. The atmosphere in the Battledrome is just amazing, even though we’re still a pretty new team. Sasha [Alexander Kozar] says that it gets even better during playoffs so I’m looking forward to that.

 **So, you’ve got your sights set on a good post-season, then?**  
[laughs] Oh yeah. I mean. I gotta say that there’s a lot of uncertainties for me, still. Zarbo [Bogdan Zarubin] should be back in March so who knows? Maybe I won’t even be playing by then. 

**Something tells us that a rookie who’s touted as being in the running for the Calder is probably assured a place in what’s hopefully a deep post-season run.**

♠

 **Las Vegas Aces** @lasvegasaces • 40m  
FOUR SLEEPS TILL CHRISTMAS. ONE SLEEP TILL WE BEAT THE BLUE JACKETS

 **NHL Blue Jackets** @BlueJacketsNHL • 35m  
**@lasvegasaces** :( worst present ever. we’re regifting this year.

♠

Beating Columbus isn’t as easy as it should be. Kent’s hamstring’s a bit tight and he’s not getting in the minutes he’d like. He’s reduced to shouting and scowling from the bench, chewing on his mouthguard in frustration. 

Jeff shoots wide, Barty hits the pipes (both of them) and Bobrovsky is on form. Fortunately, Desi more than matches him and it looks like it’s gonna be a goalie’s game. Finally, Giddings taps him on the shoulder and he’s over the board for the power play. He skates over to the faceoff circle and he knows that he’s gonna win it. 

His point-streak ended at the start of November but all that means is that he started a new one. He’s already leading the chase for the Art Ross by a comfortable margin. 

He wins the faceoff and this is a good power play. He and Jeff and Charbo pass the puck around freely and Charbo pulls off this pretty sexy spinorama to get the puck to Kent. 

He’s never been able to explain what it’s like to shoot at goal and know that it’s in, even before it cross the line. It’s this absolute certainty that borders on arrogance and he’s wheeling away to celebrate and Charbo and Jeff crash into him and this is what it should always be like.  
They’re still leading as the third winds down and Kent’s feeling pretty exultant so he doesn’t see it when it happens. Everyone says it’s an accident. There’s a lot of traffic in front of Bobrovsky’s net and Charbo gets shoved into the goal post, maybe even by one of his own teammates. He drops like a stone and Kent leans forward and grips the board. 

The Battledrome is almost silent for the loudest heartbeat, which drums in Kent’s ears but then Charbo moves and everyone exhales. There’s blood on his chin and he’s trying to catch it in his glove. Bash helps him off the ice and he goes straight to the locker room. 

It’s Kent’s line’s shift and there are only thirty seconds to go. 

Kent scores again, into the empty net, and he has the fleeting hope that Charbo hears the roar.

♠

Gabriel shows up at Parse’s house at eleven o’clock on Christmas morning. He’s carrying an Aces duffel, full of presents. Aurelie helped him pick out presents for Kent’s parents and his younger sisters because Gabriel's pretty clueless when it comes to buying presents for complete strangers. Aurelie cried a little on the phone and Gabriel's not sure if it's because she was happy he wouldn't be on his own, or because she'd miss him. His sister is so tough, all the time, that it was unnerving to hear her so vulnerable. 

As he stands on the doorstep, Gabriel’s pretty painfully aware that he doesn’t look his best. He’s got five stitches under his chin, a split lip and a pretty spectacular bruise. He can’t shave but, then again, it takes days for him to grow anything resembling stubble. If (when) they get to the playoffs, he expects to be thoroughly embarrassed.

At first, Parse's mother seems really intimidating. She’s immaculately turned out, with perfectly coiffed hair and a cream jacket and Gabriel is terrified of creasing her but she greets him with a warm hug and she wears the same perfume as Gabriel’s mom and he can feel himself relaxing. 

Parse’s sisters are a giggling mystery, who keep hiding, at first. 

“They both have huge crushes on you,” says Parse. He’s sitting up at his breakfast bar and it must be a Parson family tradition to dress up on Christmas Day because he’s wearing slacks and a shirt and tie. He’s curled around a mug of coffee and looks a little sleepy so Gabriel’s guessing he hasn’t been awake too long. 

“Kent,” says Mrs Parson, scolding but smiling at the same time. “Don’t embarrass the poor boy.” She pours a mug of coffee for Gabriel. “Kent’s little sisters are nine.”

“Surprise babies,” says Parse, his tone as dry as the desert outside.

“Well, you were off playing hockey and we needed something to fill the void. Hello, Gabriel, I’m Clark.” Mr Parson comes in and reaches out to shake Gabriel’s hand.

Gabriel blinks. “Wait. Clark and Kent?”

Mrs Parson rolls her eyes. “Let’s just say that I lost the argument about naming Kent and leave it at that.”

“Speaking of, where are Lois and Lane?” asks Mr Parson brightly.

Gabriel feels his mouth dropping open. 

“Oh, stop it, Clark. He is joking, Gabriel, I promise you. The girls are Katie and Kristen and they really are big fans of yours. Look for them at your next game. I’m planning on putting them in Charbonneau jerseys.”

“Mo-om,” says Parse and Gabriel feels almost disoriented at how warm the house is, even though it’s as pristine as ever. 

For the first time, he wonders if Parse is lonely here in Las Vegas, where there’s all this sound and fury, signifying something.

“I, uh, brought presents,” says Gabriel. “I hope they’re okay. My sister helped me pick them out but it was over the phone so if they’re not —”

“Gabriel, sweetheart, I’m sure they’re perfect even though Parse should have told you not to bring anything.”

“I did,” said Kent, sounding bored.

“Well, I just wanted to thank you for including me. I mean, I know it’s a family celebration.”

“Now, now,” says Mrs Parson. “When I think about Kent’s billet families over the years, and the Eriksons and the Zimmermanns and everyone, it’s the very least we can do to pay forward some of that kindness.” 

There’s a pop from the corner of the kitchen and Mr Parson’s holding a champagne bottle, which is frothing over slightly. “Bellini, anyone? The girls will want to play Monopoly so it's best we hit the alcohol early. They are a pair of consummate hustlers and I have no idea where they get that from ” 

Kent's smiling and fiddling with his phone. He catches Gabriel's eye. "So, what did you get me for Christmas?"

♠

 **Kent Parson** @kentparson • 23m  
Happy holidays everyone. It’s my favourite time of year. Family and friends.

 **Las Vegas Aces** @lasvegasaces • 21m  
**@kentparson** We’re gonna bet that next June will be even better, #ohcaptainmycaptain

 **fight me** @hellsqueen • 14m  
okay does anyone else see that picture of charbo at the parson family xmas? #meettheparents??

♠

It’s New Year’s Eve and they’re in New York. Jeff is making terrible jokes about balls dropping and Kent escapes out onto the balcony of the penthouse suite. He needs a break from all the clamour, where people are talking about the Stanley Cup, like it’s theirs for the taking. Like there isn’t so much hockey left to be played. 

He hears the countdown and he’s okay out here on his own. Kent Parson isn’t on intimate terms with the art of introspection but, maybe, in these post-midnight minutes, he needs to breathe, the air around him misting.

He takes out his phone to text Jack, just to wish him a happy new year and to tell him, again, that he misses him, that he wishes they were playing hockey together still. The Aces are his team. They’re his guys. They’re not Jack Zimmermann, though.

“It’s fucking cold out here.” Charbo’s cheeks are pink and Kent would guess that Bash and Beastly have been plying him with IPAs and cheap vodka.

“You’re Canadian,” says Kent. “I thought you couldn’t feel the cold.”

Charbo shrugs. “You missed the countdown.” He sounds a little reproachful. He leans back against the balcony railing and Kent looks at him for a moment. 

“Did you kiss anyone?” asks Kent. He doesn’t know why he asks that; it’s a stupid question. 

Charbo laughs, though, and takes out his phone. There’s a selfie, of him, with Bash and Beastly pressing kisses to his cheeks and Kent can’t help smiling. 

“They say that whoever you kiss at midnight, you’ll be with for the year,” says Charbo. “So I guess the Aces are stuck with me.”

Kent’s okay with that, he thinks. He’s always been pretty self-sufficient. Charbo nudges him and Kent looks at him and it’s strange, that he and Charbo are almost the same height. Charbo’s eyes are really dark brown, almost black in this city night. Charbo smiles then and rests one hand on Kent’s shoulder and it’s companionable. Kent isn’t expecting it. He’s not expecting Charbo to lean in and press a kiss to Kent’s cheek, a whisper away from the corner of Kent’s lips. 

“It’s after midnight,” Kent says softly. He feels like talking out loud would shatter this fleeting peace.

“‘fraid you’re still stuck with me,” says Charbo and he pats Kent’s cheek and goes back inside, a little unsteady on his feet. 

Kent, unsteady too, holds onto the balcony and looks away from this momentary eclipse.


End file.
